Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich opened up about being fired Monday, a move that was followed up by owner Jim Irsay doing something unprecedented by naming Jeff Saturday the interim head coach.
Though it’s understandable that the Colts parted ways with Reich, it was a bit of a shock they didn’t wait until after the season. It clearly was an impulsive move by Irsay, whose only candidate to replace Reich was Saturday.
Reich opened up about the firing in an interview with Mike Chappell of Fox59, and in true Reich fashion, he took the high road despite expressing his disappointment.
“There’s disappointment and hurt. “It hurts. It hurts to have it happen in the middle of the season,” Reich told Chappell. “But I understand the business side of things. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Irsay and I’ve come to trust his instincts and his knowledge of the game. I just know he’s doing what he thinks is best for the team.”
Reich deserved plenty of blame for the shortcomings of the offense this season, but he also survived much longer than most coaches would considering the circumstances he was under throughout his tenure. The retirement of Andrew Luck set in motion a path that was probably impossible to come back from with the benefit of hindsight.
However, Reich still feels proud of his time in the Circle City and what the team was able to accomplish during his tenure.
“I gave my heart and soul to the job, to the guys, to everything I did there. I didn’t take anything for granted,” Reich said.
The quarterback carousel is going to be what most point to as the downfall for Reich. But the mismanagement of the roster construction on Chris Ballard’s part deserves, at the least, equal blame for the recent struggles.
Make no mistake, Reich doesn’t see this being the end of his coaching career.
“I think you keep all your options open,’’ Reich said. “Obviously my desire is to be a head coach. I love the game. I love everything about the game, so you keep all of your options open.’’
We’ll see what the future holds for Reich and whether he’ll get another chance to be a head coach in the NFL.
And it’s no surprise to see a man known for his character take the high road despite the sudden fallout.
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